Do whey and protein make you fat?

It's common to hear that whey protein makes you put on weight or, conversely, that it helps you lose weight. In the weight room, many enthusiasts of this discipline who aim to build muscle mass find that consumption of whey protein is sometimes accompanied by weight gain.

Is this enough to assert that whey makes you put on weight? Does taking this protein powder on a regular basis really put you at risk of becoming overweight? Does the body convert whey into fat?

No, whey and protein don't make you fat. What does make you gain weight is the way you consume the macronutrient, in the form of plant or animal proteins. In many cases, this weight gain has nothing to do with an involuntary excess of fat or calories, but with an increase in muscle mass.

Proteins are essential nutrients , containing amino acids essential for muscle synthesis, energy metabolism and satiety. In the right proportions, they help the body better assimilate other macronutrients, and even promote fat loss.

So, does whey make you fat? It all depends on the quantity, the source, the time of consumption, the goal, the basal metabolism or the sports routine... That's all we see in this article to understand how proteins act on the body.

Do proteins make you fat?

Differentiating between muscle and fat mass gain

The collective unconscious confuses weight and fat gain. It's as if gaining weight means becoming fuller and storing more fat.

But this is not true.

Weight gain is sometimes in the form of muscle mass, which is an important part of body composition. Fat mass is less dense than muscle, so for the same weight, muscle takes up less space than fat. For athletes and body-builders, whey protein acts precisely on this muscle mass.

Reversing the lean-fat ratio

The aim of bodybuilding is often to put on weight by gaining lean mass. This is known as a mass gain program. Alternatively, we aim to lose weight by losing fat mass. In this case, we're talking about muscle drying.

So how do you lose fat without losing muscle?

In fact, the 2 main reasons to consume whey are :

• muscle growth ;
• recovery.

In this context, the excess calories and amino acids absorbed are used to synthesize larger, more powerful muscle fibres. The result is a gain in lean body mass, and therefore healthy weight gain.

Here's how to achieve a well-shaped physique without unsightly curves, despite a more or less significant weight gain.

The role of protein in body weight

What are proteins used for?

Proteins are macronutrients in the same way as carbohydrates and lipids. They circulate throughout the body and have a dual role:

• structuring, i.e. they are found as components of our tissues, hair, muscles, nails, etc. ;
• functional, contributing to our overall metabolic functioning.

Proteins are involved in immunity, satiety, sleep, muscle growth and many other mechanisms.

How much protein should I eat?

To achieve mass gain without superfluous fat, a higher protein intake is required, without going overboard.

When building mass, athletes and body-builders should consume between 1.4 and 2 g/kg/d¹, without exceeding 2 g/kg/d.

What really makes you fat: excess calories

Different caloric needs for different people

What really makes you fat is not protein. It'sexcess calories.

To easily understand the concept of caloric balance, imagine a scale that swings between what you consume, on the one hand, and what you expend, on the other. We gain kilos when we take in more calories than we burn off.

Energy requirements in terms of calories are specific to each individual. They depend on :

• the age of the subject, because with senescence (or aging of the body), needs diminish;
• gender, as men need higher intakes than women;
• weight and body composition, as muscle requires more energy to maintain at rest than fat;
• size ;
• the level of physical activity (NAP) for all activities outside training, such as travel;
• of the basal metabolic rate, as certain profiles such as ectomorphs consume more energy at rest.

Protein intake in the balance

Protein intake comes from :

• diet, with protein-rich foods;
• consumption of protein powders such as whey.

Consuming a protein powder increases the calories absorbed.

Without sport, these extra calories encourage unwanted weight gain. That's why it's essential to monitor the calorie intake of the food and protein powder you eat. Monitoring depends on your level ofphysical activity and your needs.  

In sports, strength exercises and training sessions compensate for calories ingested, while triggering muscle anabolism and catabolism.
The body destroys the most fragile muscle fibers, replacing them with denser, stronger ones. The amino acids supplied by whey are therefore essential. They help rebuild muscles and promote mass gain. 

The ideal calorie intake to avoid putting on weight

To optimize muscle recovery and ensure good muscle support, it's important to eat a balanced diet.

Say goodbye to processed fast food! Eat healthily by incorporating fruit and vegetables into your eating habits. These foods are high in fiber and vitamins, making them indispensable for achieving your goal of healthy mass gain.

This advice also applies to athletes who consume casein. Water intake is crucial, as the body absorbs casein more slowly than other proteins. This slow digestion is what distinguishes casein from whey.

It's not easy to distinguish between the different protein powders, especially whey and gainer. For ectomorphic athletes struggling to put on weight, gainer is a good choice, as it contains more calories thanks to its extra carbohydrate content.

Is it a good idea to take protein every day?

Yes, it is possible to eat protein every day, as long as you avoid excessive intake, beyond the international recommendations mentioned above.

Why shouldn't we overdo protein powder? Because a daily dose of more than 2 g/kg/d is useless and increases the risk of gaining fat.

That's why protein supplementation and exercise are so closely linked. One cannot exist without the other. Without physical effort and appropriate expenditure, whey protein, casein and other proteins can have deleterious effects on health, and even lead to overweight.

Does eating too much protein make you lose weight?

Can you lose weight with whey?

No, eating too much protein won't help you lose weight. On the other hand, whey protein, and more generally protein supplements, can help you slim down as part of a balanced diet.

Many slimming products contain high levels of protein. This is primarily due to theappetite-suppressant effect of protein, which provides a feeling of satiety for a lower caloric intake... so you can avoid snacking between meals.

During dieting, this satiety effect is used to reduce the sensation of hunger after meals, in situations of caloric deficit. In addition to this boost, the proteins contained in slimming products provide essential amino acids to strengthen muscles. They also limit muscle loss linked to calorie restriction.

It is therefore advisable to choose a whey adapted to dryness, i.e. with as few additives and sweeteners as possible.

What proteins help you lose weight?

To lose weight, we look to consume complete protein sources. These are foods or supplements with a complete amino acid profile, offering the 9 essential amino acids that the body does not produce on its own. These bring about the desired satiety effect by satiating faster.

By practicing a sport, you reduce the ratio of fat to muscle. As muscle requires more energy to be maintained at rest, this sporting activity will promote energy expenditure, even at rest.

When you go on a diet, you initially lose weight. Then, with a healthy, balanced diet, calorie intake is matched to energy needs, to maintain a slim figure.

An aside on the ketogenic diet: this advocates a low-carb diet with more fat and more protein. By controlling calorie intake so as not to exceed 10% carbohydrates, the keto diet promises rapid weight loss. This particular diet puts more emphasis on protein and can help you to regain your figure, although fat is not an enemy of performance.

To enjoy the benefits of protein powder

Consumption of whey, casein or other proteins is always accompanied by physical exercise, aspart of physical preparation. Without sport, supplementation above 0.8 g/kg/d is useless and exposes you to the risk of becoming overweight, depending on your calorie intake.

Take the time to consult a health professional, a sports coach or a specialized website to choose a quality product with as few alterations as possible. In fact, choosing a whey with no additives or sweeteners helps preserve your health. And if it's a French whey with no added sugar, it's even better.

Protein supplements like whey are, as the name suggests, supplements. Although their use has shown great interest, beneficial and optimal supplementation is achieved as a complement to a healthy, balanced diet.

The first step is to ensure a balanced menu that meets the needs of your training program.

Nutrition is a very complicated subject, and new discoveries are being made all the time, shaking up knowledge that many people took for granted. Rumours have a long life. While the subject is fascinating, whether it's about losing weight, building muscle or maintaining physical condition, we recommend reading reliable sources such as scientific articles.

Conclusion

No, whey is not fattening. Like all proteins, whetheranimal-based (meat, poultry, fish, egg, milk, cottage cheese...) or plant-based (soy, lentils, rice, peas, tofu, seeds...), whey plays an essential role in muscle development and tissue synthesis.

The human body needs a protein intake adapted to its daily energy requirements, without falling into the trap of excess protein, which leads to fat gain. The ideal quantity varies according to overall diet and level of physical activity.

On a high-protein or weight-loss diet, proteins stimulate satiety and help preserve muscle mass by limiting muscle loss during caloric deficit. The ideal situation is therefore one of slight caloric deficit, in which whey consumption can optimize the lean mass/fat mass ratio. On the other hand, an excess of calories, whether from healthy foods or protein shakes, tends to lead to weight gain if energy expenditure does not keep pace.

To build muscle mass, it is therefore preferable to focus on natural sources of protein and, if necessary, supplement with a high-quality whey with a high nutritional value and no additives.
When properly consumed, complete proteins are not fattening and make nutrition more effective for achieving physical goals without compromising health.